Tank and trailer maker plans 300 jobs in Fort Wayne

News-Sentinel staff report

Monday, January 28, 2013 - 3:07 pm

A company that will make steel storage tanks and trailers is coming to Fort Wayne, and it plans to fill 300 jobs by 2016.

Accelerated Tanks and Trailers announced today its plans to open a Fort Wayne operation, according the Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance. The company will occupy almost 100,000 square feet at 5201 Investment Drive. Property owner F&H Associates will make improvements to the building, which should be finished in 2015, according to the Alliance.

Accelerated Tanks and Trailers is a division of C&J Services and Supplies, which has its headquarters in Carmel. According to its website, C&J Services and Supplies got its start in 2001 as a vendor to the U.S. military.

“The City of Fort Wayne is pleased to welcome Accelerated Tanks and Trailers to our community,” Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry said in a release announcing the move. “Through our collaborative efforts with the private sector, we continue to see positive economic growth and job creation in our City and region.”

In its new facility the company will manufacture mobile steel storage tanks and trailers used for oil and gas, environmental cleanup, construction and industrial applications. The company has developed an environmentally-friendly, patent-pending design to insulate these steel tanks and provide the customer with a product that can achieve a return on investment in under 12 months, according to the Alliance release on the company's locating here.

“Steel tanks have been evolving in recent years," Derek Nilsen, Accelerated's vice president of marketing, said in the release. “The oil and gas industry, in particular, is looking for better, more energy-efficient ways to transport and store liquids. We are appreciative of the partnership we have begun to develop with the leaders if Fort Wayne where we plan to grow this business for years to come."

Accelerated Tanks and Trailers is eligible for $2.55 million in EDGE tax credits from Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) as well as training funds, the Alliance said. WorkOne Northeast has offered training and recruitment assistance and, the Fort Wayne City Council will consider a phase-in of new property taxes this month.